Ganoderma lucidum causes apoptosis in leukemia, lymphoma and multiple myeloma cells

Over many centuries, herbal remedies have treated a variety of ailments. This empiric observational approach has produced a number of leads for formulated medicines. Ganoderma lucidum extract was screened for its anti-proliferative activity using a panel of 26 human cancer cell lines. The six most sensitive hematologic cell lines were: HL-60 (ED50 26 mu g/ml), U937 (63 mu g/ml), K562 (50 mu g/ml), Blin-1 (38 mu g/ml), Nalm-6 (30 mu g/ml) and RPM18226 (40 mu g/ml). Cell cycle analyses revealed a G2/M arrest, most prominently in HL-60 cells. Four hematopoietic cell lines (HL-60, Blin-1, U937, RPM18226) were examined for apoptosis, which ranged between 21 and 92%. After exposure to G. lucidum extract, HL-60 cells became multinucleated with an increased DNA content. These results indicate that G. lucidum extract has a profound activity against leukemia, lymphoma and multiple myeloma cells and may be a novel adjunctive therapy for the treatment of hematologic malignancies. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.